Just two days after an earthquake shook the area, the Sepang International Circuit is now in the direct path of tropical cyclone Kitty. Kitty - which is gaining size and speed as it heads towards Malaysia - has been classified a category five storm after sustained winds of over 200km/h and gusts peaking at 293 km/h. Along with the strong winds is torrential rain that could cause further havoc in the region. The scheduled time of arrival for the storm is around 1pm BST on 8th April 2014. The tropical cyclone is bad news for the area, which is supposed to be hosting the Malaysian round of the Virtual Grand Prix Championship.
The circuit has already been affected by an earthquake that struck just hours after the qualifying session finished, and as a result the race was postponed, just to ensure there was no lasting damage to the circuit or surrounding areas. While nothing has been found - despite some garages suffering minor damage - the ensuing tropical cyclone could cause severely more devastation. Downton F1 team principal Bradley Downton commented, 'We've seen on the weather radar that Kitty is heading straight for us. If it remains on the current path the circuit will be at the eye of the storm, so we are heeding advice and seeking shelter elsewhere.' 'Obviously we are aware of the potential seriousness of the situation and as a result we have taken as much of our stuff away from the circuit as possible, although obviously the main worry is for all the people who live near-by who can't run away.' 'While this is the current forecast we are hopeful it will take a late change of direction and the area won't be too badly affected,' Downton added. 'Thankfully the earthquake wasn't too chaotic and only caused some minor damage to the garage, such as broken shelves and tools falling all over the place, so hopefully we'll be lucky again.' Liverpool Grand Prix team principal Robert Mathershaw agreed. 'We have taken both cars, all spare parts, and everything else that is ours basically, away from the circuit and out of the path of the storm. We have also moved all mechanics from the hotel they were in to one away from the path of Kitty.' 'But like Bradley said, we are just hopeful the storm isn't as bad as feared by the time it arrives and as least destruction is caused as possible.' Due to the prediction of the cyclone the race has been postponed once more, although organisers are hopeful of running it within the next few days if the cyclone clears by. Disclaimer - This report is purely fictional and has been made up to add an extra dimension to a virtual gaming championship.
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